Take Me To The Stars
by kaywritethat
Summary: K.C. West has had a boring, normal life. She wakes up, goes to school, does her chores, then repeats the cycle the next day. She's always wanted something more, something extraordinary. Everything changed when a strange man substituted for her class and she decided to follow him afterwards. Little did she know that this encounter would change her entire life.
1. The Substitute

Take Me To the Stars

Chapter 1

Substitute Teacher

*Author's Note: Hi readers and Whovians! This is a little project I had started for fun but decided to post on the internet because... why not! I hope you enjoy and leave reviews!

"KC, are you awake?"

I slowly opened my eyes as I heard my mother's voice from up the stairs. Checking the time, I immediately forced myself to sit upright on the couch knowing that I only had five minutes to get ready before it was time to leave.

I internally face-palmed upon realizing that I forgot to set up my alarm the night before, then got up and turned off the alarm to let my dog out from his kennel.

"C'mon Woody, go outside now." I said as I opened the kitchen door to the backyard and watched him bump into my other growling dog, Penny. At night we have to bring Woody inside the house in a kennel because he has a barking problem and our neighbors complained. Instead of trying to teach him not to bark we decided to just bring him inside every night.

I hurried up the stairs to see my mom and dad already dressed and ready to leave.

"KC, you just woke up?" my dad asked, shaking his head.

"Yeah, I forgot to set up my alarm last night." I confessed.

"It's ok, I can get ready really fast."

I scurried to my room and hurriedly threw on a black and red flannel top as well as black tights. I decided to skip out on breakfast and proceeded to brushing my teeth. Having one minute to spare, I was sitting in the car, impatiently waiting for my parents to arrive.

"Wow, you got ready in a jiffy!" my mom said, pulling herself into the car.

I smiled. "I told you."

We drove to my school and arrived right before my first class, English was going to start.

"Do you have your phone?" My dad called from the driver's seat as I got out of the car.

"Yeah, I do! I'll see you later!"

"Ok, have a good day!"

I ran off to my classroom and was surprised to see that my professor wasn't there yet. Many of my classmates were waiting patiently outside, hoping that the class was cancelled for the day.

"Hey," I called to a girl standing next to me. "Is the professor coming? He's almost fifteen minutes late."

The girl glanced at me briefly and shrugged, turning back around.

"Ok then…" I thought.

A few more minutes passed and the fifteen-minute mark had arrived, meaning students could leave without receiving an absence.

A couple of them started to walk away when a tall man carrying flying papers and books ran to the classroom. He quickly made his way through the students and to the door, muttering, "excuse me, so sorry," repeatedly. When he tried for the door to discover it was locked, he moved all the papers he was holding to one arm then pulled a strange device out of his pocket. My classmates and I watched in confusion as he pointed it at the door and it made a peculiar, buzzing noise. To our surprise he tried at the door again and it unlocked, then he walked in.

"Who was that?" I asked the same girl I "conversed" with earlier.

She only shrugged like she did a few moments before and left without a single word.

'Ok, girl with rainbow yoga pants and purple hair: not much of a talker. Noted.' I thought.

The remaining students who stood by the door looked at each other, hoping for an answer from the other but to no avail.

"That's not Professor Ahearn," I heard one student say to another.

"Should we just leave?"

Immediately the strange man inside our classroom pops his head out the door, looking at all of us.

"Oi, you lot. What are you waiting for? Come on in."

We looked at each other again, but then apprehensively walk into the classroom.

I walked to the front of the classroom and stationed myself. When we all took our seats, I had a better look at the man who was apparently our substitute, even though I was sure that they didn't bring in substitutes at the college level.

He had long, thick brown hair that was gelled up with huge sideburns coming down the side of his face. He was wearing a long brown trench coat that almost reached down to his ankles, and under that, a blue striped suit. When he walked to the side of the desk and put on his dark rectangular glasses, I could see his red converse.

"Ok class, what sort of literature are you working on today?" he asked, emphasizing the word "literature." I was surprised to hear his clear English accent.

A man sitting a few seats away from me rose his hand.

After the substitute gestured to him, he asked, "Uh, who are you?"

"OH, YES, my apologies." he said, very loudly.

"Look at me, I'm complete rubbish! It's been awhile since I taught a real class." he picked up a dry erase marker.

"My name is, The Doctor." he said slowly, simultaneously writing his name on the board.

"May I ask what your last name is, sir?"

"Don't got one. Just the Doctor."

"But surely-"

"No, just the Doctor."

This made the man stop asking, and I knew his surrounding peers were a confused as he was.

"Mr. Ahearn has gotten in a," he paused.

"Er, mishap of sorts and has asked me to attend to his class."

"Now, what kind of novel are you reading?" he picked up my book from my desk.

"Ah, Frankenstein! Mary Shelley! Brilliant! However, I have got to say that monster was not as malicious as she says he was."

"What?" I ask aloud, unintentionally. The Doctor looked at me.

"He was a very friendly man, wouldn't hurt a fly!"

"Are you saying he's real?"

"Well of course he was! Where do you think good 'ol Shelley got her ideas from?"

He leaned into me, smiling.

"He was as real as you and me."

"That's impossible!" another man shouted from the back of the room. The Doctor straightened up.

"How could you know that?"

"Well, I've seen him."

"You what?"

"I've seen him. Shook his hand, went to his little cottage in the woods. Told him of this fantastic novel written about him." he held up the book.

The man in the back chuckled.

"You're joking aren't you?"

"No, I'm not."

"Yes you are."

The Doctor, seeing that he wasn't going to believe him, gave up and moved on with his analysis of the novel. My classmates brushed off this conversation, thinking it was a practical joke. I wasn't so sure; there was something in his voice that I couldn't make out, something that didn't sound like something of a liar.

The class proceeded, each sentence the substitute saying being extremely interesting. He was a strange, yet intriguing man.

"Alright, well that was a bit of fun," the Doctor said, closing his book.

"It was nice meeting you lot, but Professor Ahearn will be back next class meeting. I think."

I stayed there, watching the Doctor taking off his glasses and putting it in his pocket. He then picked up all the papers he came in with and threw them into the recycling bin next to his desk. I looked behind me, and all the other students left.

"Um, excuse me, Professor…"

"Doctor, just the Doctor."

"Professor Doctor?"

"No, only _Doctor._ "

"You're not a professor?"

"No, not technically. Well, maybe in the 16th century France."

I ignored his absurd statement.

'This man is definitely a few slices short of a loaf.' I thought.

"Um, ok, anyways, I was wondering why you brought in all those papers if you didn't even use them in the lesson. It looked like you were having trouble carrying them."

"Oh, yes." he looked at his papers. " I brought them because I wanted to be like that professor in the movies who was always late and was carrying a huge mound of papers. I've always wanted to do that." he smiled.

"So you only brought them.. For looks?"

"Yup."

'OK then…' I thought.

All of a sudden I was getting the feeling that this Doctor wasn't supposed to be teaching us today.

"Well, off I go." he said smiling, leaving the classroom with nothing in his hands, unlike earlier.

I watched him go out the door.

'What is up with this guy?' I thought.

Author's Note: Hey everyone you made it! I really hope you enjoyed this story as much as I did writing it. I will hopefully get more chapters out soon. Don't forget to leave reviews and feedback! Bye!


	2. Investigation

Take Me To the Stars

Chapter 2

Investigation

Author's Note: Hey, chapter two is out in pretty good time! Albeit it's short, but I just couldn't wait to publish it! I really hope you enjoy this chapter and please don't forget to leave reviews and comments! Seeing them really helps motivate me to write more so even if it's one word or fifty, please leave one! Thanks a bunch!

'What is up with this guy?' I thought.

'He's apparently the professor but he didn't even wait for me to leave before he did. And he brought a mound of papers just for _looks?_ '

I walked closer to the door, looking out the window to see the man walking towards the parking lot.

Without thinking, I hurriedly grabbed my backpack and went outside, looking for him.

'I need to know what this guy is up to.' I thought.

I followed the path into the large parking lot in our school. Right next to it is a huge, grey building that towered over all the cars. I spotted the substitute walking around the far corner of the building and I quickly followed. When I got around the corner I was dumbfounded to see nothing but a dead end. It led to another side of the building, so it created its own little corner space that was filled with shrubs.

'What in the world…?' I thought.

I studied the space but found no doors or entrances that the man may have gone to.

'I'm so sure he went around here…'

I continued observing the strange site and discovered that some of the shrubs seemed to be flattened. I stepped back for a second and realized that it created some sort of square shape. Strange.

Checking my phone, I realized that I needed to get to my next class, American history, in ten minutes. Analyzing the shrubs one more time, I ran off to my next class.

When I got to the room on the other side of campus, I found my boyfriend Jared waiting for me. He was standing in his usual spot, waving at me before I could even see him. We've been dating for almost a year now and it had to be the best nine months of my life.

I made my way over to him and he hugged me.

"Hey, beautiful," he greeted in his signature, charming way.

"How was class?"

"It was…" I thought about what I wanted to say.

"Interesting."

"How so?" we made our way into the classroom.

"Well, we had this substitute."

"You have substitutes? I thought they didn't have those here."

"That's what I thought." We both sat down. I glanced at the clock and we still had five minutes before the professor started lecturing.

"But for some reason this guy didn't feel right with me. He was just so… _odd._ "

"Yeah, because they don't have substitutes here."

"No, no, it was something else. Like, he brought a bunch of papers in but didn't even use them during class because he 'wanted to be like the people in the movies.' And he said that he met the monster in _Frankenstein._ "

"Babe, I'm pretty sure he was just joking."

"But he said it in a tone that felt so _real."_ I moved a lock of hair behind my ear.

"I don't know, he just seemed strange. And when I followed him after class-"

"You followed a professor after class?!"

"Well, yeah. Let me finish! I saw him go into a corner by the Dedrick Theater but when I checked, there was nothing there."

"Maybe there was a door."

"I looked for a door; there wasn't one."

"Hm, that is kind of strange."

"I know, right?"

We ended our conversation when our teacher, Professor Giorn began the lecture. Jared and took out our notebooks and started taking notes on the material. While I was wirting about the Great Depression, I couldn't help but think about what happened earlier this morning. That man, the Doctor… there was something about him. Something I couldn't exactly point my finger on. He was so unusual yet fascinating.

Thinking about this the whole time made the class go by very fast, so before I knew it, it was time to go.

The two of walked out of the classroom when Jared asked, "Do you want to go get something to eat?"

It was lunch time and our high school classes started in 30 minutes.

I thought for a second.

"Um, actually I thought I was going to check something really quick. Can you go to the bookstore and grab me a hot pocket though? I'll meet you in the benches near the hall."

"Ok," he replied, suspicous. "What are you gonna check?"

"I wanted to go back to the theater."

Jared rolled his eyes.

"K.C., you said you already checked and he wasn't there! Maybe he's just a bit loopy in the head and went the wrong way."

"No, I'm sure he didn't! I didn't see him go anywhere else."

He sighed in defeat.

"Ok, if you want to investigate more then fine. I'll be in the benches."

"Thanks, babe." I kissed him on the cheek.

I watched as he head the opposite direction towards the bookstore before I made my way back to the side of the theater.

I was texting Jared that I wanted a pepperoni pizza hot pocket when I looked up and saw the Doctor! He was pretty far away but I was very sure it was him; he was wearing the same giant trench coat and red converse. I increased my pace towards him when he went back into that little corner I studied earlier.

'Ok, this time, I need to be absolutely sure…' I thought as I went farther down the corner to make sure he didn't go anywhere else. Sure enough, I arrived discovering no traces of him. I walked into the corner once again and felt a slight breeze that quickly went away. Again, there was a square pattern of flattened shrubs.

'How can he be doing this?' I thought to myself.

I investigated the spot like I did earlier but only found the same evidence. This mysterious Doctor was making me feel like a detective… and I loved it.


	3. Adalyn

_Author's Note: Hey fellow readers, writers, and Whovians! This third chapter is going to be a bit longer than the last because I just couldn't stop writing! I tried to add more details and be more personal with K.C.'s character since she's telling the story in her point of view. I really hope you enjoy this chapter and please don't forget to leave a review! They really help motivate me to write more and let me know people are actually reading my story. Thanks guys!_

Take Me To The Stars

Chapter 3

Adalyn

'How can he be doing this?' I thought to myself.

I investigated the spot like I did earlier but only found the same evidence. This mysterious Doctor was making me feel like a detective… and I loved it.

I made my way back to the benches outside Abel Hall (the hall was basically a cafeteria for students and had tables and benches outside for the outdoorsy people). There I found Jared already starting on his own hot pocket with a new one on a plate next to him. Looking up, he saw me and waved.

"Hey, K.C. Did you find anything?" his mouth was still full with food.

"Actually, yeah."

"Oh, really?"

"Mhm. I saw the Doctor-"

"Who's that?"

"The substitute."

"What's his actual name?"

"He said he didn't have one. Just _the Doctor."_ Jared gave me a weird look.

"Um, ok go on."

I opened the bag of my hot pocket and slightly burned my finger getting it on the plate.

"I saw him in the distance while I was walking to the theater. I called to him but he didn't answer...I don't think he heard me."

I took a bite out of my warm hot pocket when Jared asked, "And then what did he do?"

"He walked back into that same corner like earlier today. I ran over but it was too late; he was gone."

"Huh," he scratched the side of his head.

"That's really weird."

"I know, I just hope he comes back tomorrow. Next time, I'm not going to hesitate about following him as closely as possible."

I watched Jared finish up his hot pocket and lick his fingers.

"You know, you seem really preoccupied about this whole thing. Maybe that guy is just trying to prank you or something for following him. I mean, who does that?"

I look at him annoyed.

"If you saw him during class, you'd do it too."

"Uh, no, I'd just mind my own business and go on my way."

I looked at him then took more bites out of my hot pocket. Maybe he was right. I don't know this guy, I shouldn't care. But I just _had_ to know.

Jared took a look at his watch.

"Babe, it's 11:55 we have to go."

I quickly finished my own food and we both threw away our plates into the nearest trash can, then headed to our first high school class, English. Okay, let me explain.

I'm a senior and I attend this special high school that lets the students take college classes. We take our college classes in the morning, then at noon we take our high school classes until 5:00 pm. It's a pretty long school day. Our school's name is Tompkins Early Start High School, or TES, and it's situated within a community college. Pretty cool, right?

Actually no, a lot of regular high schools near us think it's lame and that all the people going here are nerds. They're not exactly wrong though.

When Jared and I got to the classroom, the whole class was already in and we quickly took our seats. Our teacher, Mrs. Millen, lectured to us about Shakespeare and how his legacy effects modern poets today. I sat at my desk, not paying attention and sketching the Doctor. Such a peculiar man with fitting attire.

The school day treaded on, having to go to Economics and Physics before the school day was done.

When I left my last class, I headed for the parking lot and met my friend Adalyn by the near benches. She was wearing her signature elephant sweater with bright, long rainbow socks that went over her jeans. If I had to choose someone with a more peculiar wardrobe besides the Doctor, it would be her.

I don't have any classes with Adalyn, so now and outside of school were the only times when we could hang out. She was playing on her DSi like she usually was, trying to capture all the Pokemon and, in her own words, "be the Pokemon Master." I wasn't into the franchise as much as she was but it's fun to watch her facial expressions when she plays the game.

"Hey, Ada!" I called to her.

She looked up from her device and waved back smiling.

"Hey K! Just caught myself a Lapras. Look!"

"Oh, that's cool." I say, pretending to act interested in the strange creature.

Ada directed her attention back to the game.

"So how'd you do on that history test? I'm pretty sure I failed." she laughed.

"Yeah," I chuckled. " I don't think I did that great either. I didn't even study for it."

"Who does?"

We stood there for a moment in silence, and I felt the strong urge to break it.

"Uh, so you know something really weird happened today."

"Ooh, what?"

I pulled the straps of my backpack off my shoulders and set it on the ground near my feet.

"Well, we had a substitute in my English college class and-"

"Uh-huh."

I waited for a second before continuing. I've always hated how she always interrupts with "uh- huh."

"...the guy was just so weird, you know? He was giving me these vibes."

"Uh-huh."

"Anyways, I followed him after class to the theater and saw that he turned around a corner, only to discover that there was nothing there. Like, nothing! No doors, no passageways. Just the wall and some shrubs."

And all of the sudden it was quiet. It was weird because at this point she would give me another one of her "uh-huh's" or even make a _shush_ sound then say, "I don't care."

But this time it was different. She slowly closed her DSi and looked at me.

"Are you saying he disappeared?"

"Yeah, I suppose. I mean, I looked for him again at lunch and saw the same thing. He went around the corner but I didn't seem him or anywhere he could've gone. Jared said he's probably just making a fool of me and pulling a prank but-"

"K.C.! Don't you understand what this means?!"

Her sudden outburst scared the life out of me and I'm sure I almost had a heart attack.

"Wh-What?"

"You've discovered a teleporter! Oh my gosh, I've always known those were real!"

"What are you talking about?"

She quickly took her phone out of her pocket and pulled up a website on her phone.

"My online friends and I have been making theories on it for months!"

She showed me the page which seemed to be a wiki that explained the existence of teleporters. I skimmed over one of the paragraphs which had links to several stories of missing people.

"We think, to a certain extent, that some people who have disappeared over the years have been victims of the teleporter." she explained.

"They all vanished without a trace and left nothing behind! My theorists and I believe that this supernatural occurrence is a portal in random parts of the world that, when fallen into, will bring you to an entirely different world! Or maybe somewhere else in our world. Maybe the man you saw happened to teleport into the same location."

I thought about what she said, still having my doubts.

"Where'd you get the evidence that this 'teleporter' exists?"

Ada's excitement all of a sudden diminished.

"Well, we haven't exactly found solid proof of it… but it's the only explanation to these strange disappearances!"

"Okay then…" I said, deliberately trying to sound dubious.

"Well, I'm gonna go now. I have English homework tonight."

I was about to walk into the parking lot when Ada yelled, "Wait!"

"What?"

"I need to see this! Is he substituting for your class tomorrow?"

"I don't know, he said Professor Ahearn would be back."

"Well, my class is cancelled is tomorrow… do you think I could sneak into your class?"

"Well, considering he didn't take attendance, I think you can. But if he doesn't come, don't okay? Professor Ahearn does."

"Alrighty! What time?"

"8."

"Ok I'll be there."

"See you Ada." I waved.

"Bye!"


End file.
